Kodak Mentors

About Dave, Jean, and J.D. Wacker

Together, the Wacker family covers the entire gamut of professional photography, from image capture to marketing and sales. The family's photographic roots date back to 1906 and continue presently through the fourth generation. They have presented programs, seminars, workshops, and classes across the country, including seven national platform programs.

Dave Wacker—PPA Certified, M.Photog.Cr., IE API, F-WPPA, HF-PPH, F-IPPA—is a PPA National Award recipient, affiliated juror, and imaging instructor. He has received numerous KODAK Gallery awards and Epcot selections, Fuji Masterpiece awards, WPPA (Wisconsin) Courts of Honor and Best of Shows, and 24 PPA Loan print awards. He was WPPA's Combined Categories Photographer of the Year in 2004 and 1995 and Indianhead PPA's Photographer of the Year five times. In 2002, all four of his print entries were selected for the PPA Loan Collection and for the ASP Top 100 Traveling Loan Collection. He is a regular contributor to Professional Photographer, Lens, InFoto, and Rangefinder magazines, specializing in the development of a PhotoPark, the Mobile Cloud, and marketing and management techniques.

Jean Wacker—PPA Certified, M.Photog. M.Artist M.EI Cr., IE API, Ph.A.L., F-WPPA, HF-HPPPH, F-IPPA—is a PPA National Award recipient, and an affiliated juror. She was the fourth in PPA history to receive all four PPA degrees. She was the PPA Color Artist of the Year in 1990 and has received numerous PPA Loan print awards (including one scoring a perfect 100 in affiliated competition). From WPPA, she received three Best of Show awards and has been Combined Categories Photographer of the Year (1993), Artist of the Year (1991 and 1992), Freestyle Artist of the Year (1991), and Color Enhancement Artist of the Year (1990 and 1991). Recently, Jean developed "Jean's Digital Makeup Kit ™," as an ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Software supplement and technique for aiding portrait photographers and photographic artists making the transition between traditional and digital retouching and enhancement.

J.D. Wacker—PPA Certified, M.Photog. M.EI Cr., API, F-WPPA, F-IPPA—is the product of four generations of professional photographers. He's a PPA affiliated juror and a popular imaging instructor. He is the 2003-2004 WPPA Senior Photographer of the Year and recipient of the Senior Folios Photographers' Choice Awards and People's Choice Awards for both of the male and female categories. He was the 2001-2002 WPPA Senior Photographer of the Year and recipient of the Senior Folios Photographers' Choice Award. He received the ASP Regional Gold Medallion Award (Wisconsin) in 2002. In 1999, J.D. received the KODAK Gallery Elite Grand Award, the PPA Sports and Events Best of Show Award, and the Indianhead PPA Photographer of the Decade Award. He received five KODAK Gallery Award and WPPA's Best of Show Award twice. He is a member of Kodak's Digital Focus Group and the Adobe Advisory Panel. In addition to his photographic degrees, he also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing. He has had his images and articles published in Kodak's book, The Portrait, Professional Photographer, Lens, and InFoto magazines. His book, The Master Posing Guide for Professional Portrait Photographers, was recently published by Amherst Media.